What would cause steam\smoke from PCV filters?
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From: Spokane, Wa.
Car: 88 Camaro
Engine: 416 Stroker LS
Transmission: Magnum F
Axle/Gears: 4.11
What would cause steam\smoke from PCV filters?
I removed the PCV tubes and replaced them with those little chrome filters. Everything seems fine except for white steam\smoke (not sure witch) pours from the filters. The guy from the parts store said it could be if some moisture got into the oil or something like that, but it happens constantly (starting about 30 or so seconds after startup) and lasts constantly. Has been doing this for weeks now. It's just enough that I can see some leak from the hood while driving, but not much.
The only things I've done to the engine are remove all the emissions crap, (including carb, smog pump) and removed all the A\C stuff (including the condenser).
Any ideas?
The only things I've done to the engine are remove all the emissions crap, (including carb, smog pump) and removed all the A\C stuff (including the condenser).
Any ideas?
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From: Littleton, CO USA
Car: 82 Berlinetta/57 Bel Air
Engine: L92/LQ4 (both w/4" stroke)
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Axle/Gears: 12B-3.73/9"-3.89
That's the stuff the PCV system normally removes from the crankcase.
Do your engine a favor - go ahead and keep one of the filters, but put the PCV valve, hooked up to a proper vacuum source, back in the other valve cover.
Do your engine a favor - go ahead and keep one of the filters, but put the PCV valve, hooked up to a proper vacuum source, back in the other valve cover.
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From: 51°N 114°W, 3500'
Car: 87 IROC L98
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Re: What would cause steam\smoke from PCV filters?
Could be any number of things but it's all still crankcase vapor. Mainly it's just condensation in the crankcase but sometimes it's blow by past the rings and sometimes it might be from a coolant leak into the crankcase (typically intake gaskets leaking). The PCV system is designed to suck the moisture back into the engine. Water doesn't burn so it gets sent out the exhaust.
Very rarely will a dual breather system stay clean. Under a high engine load situation, it's very common to have oil/water etc pushed out the breathers. A simple fix is to wrap a wrist warmer around it to minimize the mess.
For racing, you don't want moisture going back into the engine because water doesn't burn. Very few race cars run open breathers. A drag car will either use a header evac system to vent the moisture directly into the exhaust or will use some sort of vaccum pump to pull the crankcase into a vaccum and keep the moisture under control.
For a street driven car, running the PCV back into the intake is the best way. You can still keep one breather since you want clean air pulled in through the other side of the engine. Normally the breather takes it's air from the stock air filter housing.
Very rarely will a dual breather system stay clean. Under a high engine load situation, it's very common to have oil/water etc pushed out the breathers. A simple fix is to wrap a wrist warmer around it to minimize the mess.
For racing, you don't want moisture going back into the engine because water doesn't burn. Very few race cars run open breathers. A drag car will either use a header evac system to vent the moisture directly into the exhaust or will use some sort of vaccum pump to pull the crankcase into a vaccum and keep the moisture under control.
For a street driven car, running the PCV back into the intake is the best way. You can still keep one breather since you want clean air pulled in through the other side of the engine. Normally the breather takes it's air from the stock air filter housing.
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